Victory
by KlonoaDreams
Summary: She was just a little girl with a past she couldn't remember, constantly moving from one place to another in the region of Ransei. One fateful day brought her to the kingdom of Aurora. After that day, she finally found a place to call home with the old Warlord of Aurora. Years later, she takes his place and with her, a new legend is born. A Pokemon Conquest fic. Reverse-Harem.
1. Prologue

A/N Okay guys, here's another new Pokémon fic, but this here be a Pokémon Conquest fic… Yeah, I been meaning to do this a month ago when the game just came out…if I did, mine would have been the first Pokémon Conquest fic, but it's not anymore, so damn. Whatever, it's not like anyone will be able to figure out how I'll get this story to be unique cause you guys know me, right? No?

If you don't know me, then you will once you read my stories (that's if you want to). For now, let me get the disclaimer up.

**Disclaimer for whole story: The Pokémon Franchise and Nobunaga's Ambition belong to their respectful owners. I own nothing but the stuff I bought, which includes a lot of things, such as a copy of Pokémon Conquest. Aside from that, I own nothing of huge importance. I could dream, but that's all.**

Summary: Slight AU She had lost everything. Her home, her past…her memory…she couldn't even remember her own name. She had no one else, but Eevee… She was just a little girl moving from one place to another in the region of Ransei until one fateful day brought her to the kingdom of Aurora. After that day, she found a home with the old Warlord of Aurora. Years later, she takes his place and with her, a new legend is born.

Before we start, I have to give all of you guys a heads up. Since this story is focused on the female hero, a reverse-harem (male harem) is to be expected from this. Let me tell you this, I'm not at fault for this and neither is the game (aside from giving most male characters bishounen good looks)…it is history. If you play as the female hero, you are guaranteed a reverse-harem...trust me. Okay, let's move on!

"_This"_ is thoughts/Pokémon speaking…

"This" is talking…

Whether or not Pokémon will be speaking is up to me, and only time will tell if I'll do it.

* * *

…

…

Quiet sobs reached the ears of a sleeping Pokémon. The Pokémon's long, pointed ears twitched in response to the sound. Slowly, the Pokémon opened its eyes and blinked a few times. Its ears twitched again as they picked up the same sound that woke the Pokémon. Curiosity began to pique the young Pokémon's interest.

The Pokémon stood up and yawned loudly as it stretched. Afterwards, the Pokémon scanned its surroundings. It listened carefully for the sound, trying to pinpoint the source. It took the young Pokémon a few minutes, but it managed to find a lead. The sound grew louder and louder as the Pokémon continued on until…

The Pokémon blinked owlishly as it peered out from behind a bush. It tilted its head to the side in wonder as it stared at the source of the sound: a young child.

The child was a girl of three or four years old. She wore average-looking clothing and a maedate that seemed to be of some significance. The girl sat on the ground, hugging her knees tightly against her chest. She buried her face into her knees as she continued to cry. She was unaware of the Pokémon watching her…until it made a sound.

"_Vui?"_ it said.

"Huh?" The girl looked up and sniffed. She blinked when she spotted the Pokémon staring at her.

The Pokémon was small in both size and stature. It had brown fur, a bushy tail with a cream-colored tip, and a large, furry collar that was also cream-colored. Its long, pointed ears moved to the side as it stared curiously at the young girl.

"_Vui?"_ it said again.

The girl's eyes widened as she breathed in. It was an Eevee, a Pokémon she had only seen in scrolls before. Eevee were extremely rare to find in the Ransei region… This was her first time seeing one in person. Suddenly, the Eevee began to make its way towards her.

The girl didn't move a muscle, afraid that she would accidentally scare the Eevee away. She didn't want to scare the Pokémon away. This was her first time seeing such a rare Pokémon. This might just be her only chance to see an Eevee this close up.

Her heart began to beat faster as the Eevee neared her. The Eevee then stopped in front of her and sat down. Her bright, blue eyes met with the Eevee's brown eyes. Time seemed to stop at that moment as the two stared into each other's eyes.

After a few moments, the girl felt a strange warmth building up in her chest. A smile managed to cross her face as her initial sadness was replaced with happiness. The Eevee observed the girl's change of expression and, almost at once, felt something click into place. The Eevee blinked and smiled back at the girl.

"Ah…hello!" the girl finally spoke.

"_Vui!"_ was the Eevee's response.

A child and a Pokémon, brought together by fate. It was through this meeting that both child and Pokémon formed a link. It was the highlight of this child's life…it was the only highlight that she could actually remember before everything went blank.

Everything prior to the meeting with Eevee had suddenly disappeared from her memory as she found herself on the run. Memories of her life began to slip away with every day she spent on her own with no one else but her friend, Eevee. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months.

When months had turned into a year, she found herself unable to remember her own name. She had gone so long without using her name. Her name was all she had left of her old life…the one she couldn't remember.

Her new life consisted of constant traveling and when hunger struck, she had to resort to stealing. Her first memories of stealing were none too pleasant as she had been caught. Had it not been for Eevee, than she would have never escaped and learned from that mistake. Since then, she stopped making mistakes…she couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Just like she couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long. She had no reason to stay anyway. She had no place to call home…that's how it was for her until one year and six months later when _he_ found her. He was the Warlord of Aurora, known for his immense strength…and kindness.

He took her in when no one ever bothered to even look at her. He gave her a home when she had none. He gave her a name when she couldn't remember hers.

Her new name…was Katsu.

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter.

Okay, guys, this is the prologue to my Pokémon Conquest fic, hope it was good enough for your liking. And yes, I know I'm starting a new story when I have others to worry about…just let me be! DX I have ideas I want to get out and Pokémon Conquest is such an addicting game…

Plus, I just downloaded the new wi-fi episodes and…gah, those plot bunnies just love messing with me. So you might see more of this story for the next few days. Anyways, heads up on female Hero, her name is Katsu and she doesn't really have a default name. Female hero and male hero don't have default names, so it is up for the play to decide. I named my female hero Katsu because I like the name. :D Oh, and about Katsu's memory loss…yeah, that'll get explained later on.

Hope you can stick through this fic… Anyways, reviews are love, but NO FLAMES! DX Wait patiently for the next chapter, so until then, KD out! XD


	2. Succession

She was only ten when the old Warlord of Aurora finally named his successor. It was assumed the Warlord would choose one of his Warriors to succeed his title of Warlord of Aurora since his only son refused to do so, choosing to wander about Ransei instead. However, his Warriors were shocked to discover that it was not to be. Their Lord's successor would be the tiny girl he had adopted nearly six years ago…the Warlord had said so himself.

At first, his Warriors had thought he had been joking…they hoped he was. However, that was not the case as the Warlord was dead serious with his decision.

She was too young, his Warriors argued in an attempt to change their Lord's mind. Too inexperienced to hold the battlefield when the time came, they said. Their comments and arguments fell on deaf ears. The Warlord wouldn't hear any of it and threatened his Warriors with banishment for insubordination. His argument for defending his decision was that he still had a few years left in his life. By the time his successor was ready to take his place, she would be older and much more experienced.

Persuasion had ceased, but gossip behind the Warlord's back commenced. Animosity towards the young successor rose now that it had been confirmed that she would be controlling Aurora when the time came. One Warrior was bold enough to show his animosity and confronted the young successor herself.

The outcome of this incident resulted in the banishment of the Warrior and his partner Pokémon, Machop for harming the successor and her Eevee. The Warlord had been serious with his threat and would not hesitate to banish anyone who decided to harm his successor and her Pokémon in any form. It was because of this reason the rest of the Warriors and their Pokémon avoided their Warlord's successor altogether.

The Warlord never expected this sort of behavior towards his successor. Then again, his Warriors had never gotten too close to the little girl. They were still wary of her due to her inability to recall her background or name. They suspected her of lying, but he knew she was telling the truth. She had no reason to lie…not since he offered her a new home and a new life.

…

…

She was only twelve when the old Warlord of Aurora passed away. She had been the last person to see him alive. She had been with him on the day before his passing… The two had been very close during the past seven and a half years they had spent together. That was why his last words to her were of his gratitude of having someone like her for a daughter.

That was the first time he had ever referred to her as his daughter…and the last. It was the same situation for her when she responded to his words and called him, "father". It had been a heartfelt moment that had been brought to an end with the next day.

On that exact same day, _he_ came to the castle. A young man had arrived at the castle, looking for the Warlord of Aurora.

"You're standing right in front of her," was her response when he asked her of the Warlord's whereabouts.

The young man had not expected this. "W-What…where's Maeda Toshihisa?"

She said nothing, but he understood. The expression on her face said all.

…

…

Maeda Toshihisa was the name of the old Warlord. The young man who had been looking for Toshihisa was Maeda Toshimasu, his son. Toshimasu had been distraught to learn of his father's death, especially since he was off by a day. Had arrived at Aurora any earlier, he would have been able to see his father alive one last time.

…

…

He wore white clothing for the wake, just like everyone else. She sat right next to him. She was the only person who sat this close to him. Everyone else was seated farther away from them, talking amongst themselves.

Katsu was her name, she told him. Toshimasu immediately remembered who she was. She had been the little girl his father had brought home seven and a half years ago. He wasn't aware that his father had named her as his successor two years ago until today. It had been three years since he last visited the kingdom of Aurora.

Toshimasu didn't question his father's decision. He accepted the way it was. He had faith in Katsu and her abilities. Toshihisa would never appoint anyone he deemed unsuitable for a position…that's why Toshimasu trusted Katsu.

However, it didn't seem that way to his father's Warriors. Toshimasu noticed that Katsu's presence was rather unwanted. In fact, he could hear the Warriors whispering to one another about Katsu.

Katsu did nothing, but just stroked her Eevee as it curled up on her lap. She probably didn't hear them, Toshimasu assumed…but then he had a thought that maybe she _did_ hear, but chose not to do anything. She seemed rather jaded, now that he thought more about it. He frowned.

She didn't deserve such treatment…

He had been in her situation before…and he knew what it was like. He had been called an unsuitable heir because he wasn't able to link with a Pokémon. That was why he refused to become his father's successor. However, just a few days ago, he was finally able to link with a Pokémon. He had been meaning to show his father, but…this had to have happened.

…

…

Maeda Toshihisa was surrounded by numerous flowers in his casket. Toshimasu's bluebells and sweet peas stuck out the most amongst the zinnias and daffodils inside the casket. Within the bluebells and sweet peas was a gift he had gotten his father during his travels.

Toshimasu never noticed that Katsu had left until she entered the room. She held flowers in her hands, her Eevee carrying a few of the same flowers in its mouth. They made their way over to the casket, ignoring the many eyes on them as they left a trail of dirt in their path.

He watched her drop the flowers into the casket. He didn't pay any attention to her choice of flowers until he noticed that they were shion flowers.

"Shion flowers?" he questioned.

"I won't forget him…" she said simply. "Remembrance…that is what these flowers mean, right?"

"Ah…yes…" Toshimasu knew a few things about flowers, such as their meanings. It seemed to him that he hadn't been the only one who understood their meanings as well.

"The zinnias are for loyalty and the daffodils are for respect," she continued on. "You are grateful to him, so you picked bluebells and the sweet peas are your goodbye to him…"

"That's right," was all he said. He had nothing else to say to her.

…

…

It was just them two picking the bones of Maeda Toshihisa out of the ashes. Toshimasu couldn't help but feel insulted for how disrespectful his father's Warriors were. It was considered honorable if a Warlord's Warriors helped out with the bone-picking if said Warlord didn't have many relatives. They were supposed to have been here, helping him and Katsu with the bone-picking, yet, they were absent.

"_They say they are loyal to their Lord, yet only his children are picking up his bones." _Toshimasu could not believe that these Warriors were the same Warriors his father had placed his trust in. _"__**DISHONOR! **__DISHONOR ON THEM! DISHONOR ON THEIR TAUROS!"_

It took all of Toshimasu's willpower to keep himself from crying. He was just so enraged and saddened by how disrespectful his father's Warriors were. He couldn't help but feel envious of Katsu for managing to stay so calm and collected. She was younger than him by nine years and yet, she seemed to be the most mature out of the both of them.

…

…

On the third day, Toshimasu came across a scroll addressed to himself in his father's room. He opened it almost at once and found out that it was a message written by his father, four days before his death…four days… His father had been aware of his impending death…

"_If only…"_ was all Toshimasu thought. _"If only…"_

This was all Toshimasu had left of his father…his father's last words. Toshihisa had loved his son and it showed a lot in his letter. He brought up past memories and the father-son moments he had shared with Toshimasu. Toshimasu had been brought to tears as he remembered those moments.

He continued reading the scroll, smiling when he learned his father never once cared about his inability to link with Pokémon as a youth. He already knew that, but he felt reassured knowing that his father did mean it.

"_If only he knew, if only he knew…"_ Toshimasu thought. _"He would have been so proud…"_

However, what came after that passage surprised him. His refusal as successor had been brought up, but it didn't end there. There was an explanation after that. Toshihisa had a reason why he had insisted Toshimasu when he was aware of his inability to link with Pokémon. It was because of Katsu…

Katsu had been adopted to help Toshimasu with his then disability. She had already proven her ability to link with Pokémon…and at such a young age. She was intended to balance him out and take his place on the battlefield. She had been betrothed to him for that very reason, just so he could become successor.

Toshimasu then found himself given a choice whether or not he followed through with the betrothal. Whatever his choice was, it wouldn't matter as Katsu would still keep her position as the new Warlord of Aurora. Toshihisa had just given his son his freedom. He would still be able to travel Ransei if he wished…

Toshihisa then gave his regards to both his son and Katsu, who he considered his own daughter. His last words were of goodbye and that was all he wrote…

…

…

On the seventh day, Toshimasu was furious. None of his father's Warriors had bothered to show up since the funeral. He wasn't able to do anything about it, either, since he wasn't Aurora's Warlord. He decided to do something else…

"I am going to send those 'oh-so-loyal' Warriors a seething letter!" he said, angrily. "Write this down, Tohma! And make sure it's in kanji!"

Tohma was the name of Toshimasu's Eevee. Like Katsu, Toshimasu's partner Pokémon had been an Eevee, though Tohma was special in terms of coloration as he was silver instead of brown. Toshimasu had been meaning to look into his Eevee's coloration, but hadn't had the time to, what with his father passing away.

Toshimasu looked at his Eevee and nodded his head. Tohma had already opened a blank scroll and dipped his tail in ink. He looked at Toshimasu and waited for his partner to begin talking.

…

…

"—and DISHONOR ON YOU! DISHONOR ON YOUR TAUROS! DISHONOR ON YOUR MILTANK AND RAPIDASH!"

Toshimasu stopped to catch his breath. He was panting by now. He turned to his Eevee and looked at the writing in the scroll. "I said kanji, not katakana!"

Tohma's ears drooped. _"Vui…"_

Toshimasu blinked. "Oh, you're still learning…proceed. Just make sure to add at the end, 'I apologize for the use of katakana, my valiant Eevee scribe is still learning'."

Tohma nodded. _"Vui…?"_

"We'll put the letter away for now," Toshimasu sighed. "I need to go cool down…"

Tohma nodded and proceeded to close the scroll as Toshimasu left the room.

…

…

Toshimasu sat down in a cross-legged position on the porch. He stared out at the garden and spotted his father's partner Pokémon, Armaldo, dozing off under a tree. A Shieldon slept right by Armaldo's side. Shieldon was another of his father's Pokémon, but the link between the both of them had been weak. Shieldon was more of a companion Pokémon than a battler and if Toshimasu knew Shieldon, Shieldon wouldn't have it any other way.

Toshimasu frowned as he just realized how much he missed his father. It was never like this on his journeys, but then again, he always knew his father would be there when he came back…

"_One day…"_ he thought. _"If I had come any sooner…I could have still seen him…"_

He felt envious of Katsu, being the last one who had been with his father. He felt anger towards his father's Warriors for giving him insecurities with their rumors. It was because of his insecurities that he left the kingdom of Aurora when he was fifteen…that was two years after his father brought Katsu to the castle.

His anger then extended to the Warlords of Ransei. Should a Warlord ever fall ill or shows signs that put him/her out of commission, news was to be sent throughout the whole region to all kingdoms. It was considered dishonorable if a Warlord was to attack another kingdom while its Warlord was out of commission due to illness. To any Warlord, honor was everything. Warlords without honor were considered trash. This philosophy extended to Warriors as well.

It was a Warlord's responsibility to spread the message throughout his/her kingdom. Toshimasu should have heard about his father's failing health if that had been the case… However, there was the slight chance that he might have not been at any kingdom during the time the message had been sent. If anything, it was actually his fault for not checking up on the news. Knowing about the kingdom of Aurora's current status was his own responsibility…

Now that he thought more about it, Toshimasu realized that he had only himself to blame. It all started with his inability to link with Pokémon and the rumors that went on between his father's Warriors. He had let their words affect him and left Aurora to escape them. The minute he had done that, he had pretty much admitted defeat.

Toshimasu thought more in-depth about his inability to link with Pokémon. There had to be a reason behind it, aside from him being a late bloomer. His memory of his linking with Eevee suddenly popped up in mind. It took him a few minutes before it hit him.

As a child, he didn't care much for Pokémon and tried too hard to link with them. As a teenager, he had been focusing more on linking with a Pokémon instead of opening up to them. It was for those exact reasons that he wasn't able to link up with a Pokémon until now.

Toshimasu snapped out of his thoughts when a small hand was placed on his arm. He turned to see that it was Katsu. Toshimasu was taken aback with the expression on her face. She seemed absolutely distraught, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Am I going to die?" she asked.

"Where did that come from?" Toshimasu was perplexed. "You're only twelve…"

"Then what about you?" she asked, looking rather concerned. "Will you fall ill and die like him? Are you going to die before me like everyone else?"

"Everyone else?" he questioned.

Katsu said nothing and just latched onto his arm. Then, for the first time in seven days, Katsu was anything but calm and collected like she had been until now. She was crying. Toshimasu was stunned, but he still wonder what she meant by everyone else.

It didn't make sense at first, but then it suddenly clicked into place when Toshimasu remembered that Katsu was an amnesiac. She must have remembered something she had forgotten. He assumed that his father's death might have triggered a memory, one that didn't bode too well with her. Whatever it was, Toshimasu was aware that Katsu was definitely no stranger to death.

He was also aware that the new Warlord of Aurora was barely twelve years old. She was still a child…

Toshimasu smiled reassuringly and patted Katsu on the head. "It's alright…I won't die, not now…not for a very long time."

It was rather unnerving talking about his own death, but Katsu seemed to be worked up about it. It was nice to know that he was cared about… Though, memories of the letter he had read in his father's room began to pop up. He had been betrothed to Katsu when he was much younger, but now…it was his choice if he wanted to follow through with it. It was rather awkward thinking about it, given the current situation.

…

…

On the thirteenth day, Toshimasu found out that his father's army had disbanded. All of his Warriors had left Aurora and scattered throughout the Ransei region. He had found out when the messenger boy came back from delivering the seething letters he had written. His letters were left undelivered because of that.

Toshimasu's letters were much more different that they were previously. Since he had seen Katsu cry, Toshimasu had noticed just how immature he had been in his anger. He had rewritten the letters himself in a manner much more structured and becoming of a Warlord's son. It was the way his father had told him letters were to be written. He had also learned to stop blaming himself. What was done was done…blaming would do him no good, so he stopped.

When Toshimasu heard the news about his father's Warriors, he wasn't that surprised…in fact, he actually expected it. Since Katsu was now the new Warlord of Aurora, his father's Warriors might have just figured it out that Katsu actually had power. They might have assumed that she would get back at them some way for all the trouble they have caused her through their gossip.

Toshimasu was glad his father's disrespectful Warriors were gone. They didn't have any trust in their new Warlord, Katsu. The same went with a quarter of the castle's servants, who had quit.

The remaining servants were quite different from the aforementioned. They were those who still showed their loyalty to Maeda Toshihisa, even after death. They were willing to give Katsu the chance she deserved.

He would be quite grateful if he weren't so concerned with the glaring problem at hand. Katsu had no army under her control… He could easily help her out by being the first to join her army. However, despite the situation, he would rather not… During the past six years, Toshimasu had become a bit of a free spirit. He was not so keen on staying in one place for too long.

Besides, he lacked the actual experience of a Warrior. His inability to link with Pokémon during childhood and adolescence was partially to blame (the other being himself). Though, what he lacked in experience, he compensated with knowledge. For that exact reason, he decided to prove his competence to Katsu by becoming her teacher.

…

…

One the twenty-fifth day, Toshimasu was surprised he was still in Aurora. Twenty-four days had been his limit in the duration he stayed in one place. However, he never had a reason to stay in one place before.

He had originally intended to teach Katsu what it took to be a Warrior. Though, he found out, not even a full day into his teaching, there was nothing left to teach Katsu. Toshihisa had beaten him to the punch the day Katsu was named successor. All there was left was to teach Katsu was how to hone her skills and develop her strategies when the time for battle came.

And thus, training had commenced.

…

…

On the thirty-fifth day, Toshimasu found himself learning more from Katsu instead of the converse. The roles have been reversed and out of this, Toshimasu gained the experience he had previously lacked.

…

…

On the forty-eighth day, Toshimasu had woken up to find Katsu clinging onto his arm. He had grown used to this sight since Katsu had started sleeping in the same room with him. What he had yet to grow accustomed to, was the knowledge that Katsu was in a position where his decision mattered on whether or not she was still his betrothed. It had not been much of a problem at first, but in the past forty-one days, Toshimasu and Katsu had grown closer.

The knowledge was beginning to push one-sided pressure on him. It didn't help that his father's letter, which Toshimasu was now referring to as "the will", kept popping up in his mind.

"_I need to get out of here, soon…"_ he thought.

He was beginning to grow uncomfortable with having stayed so long in one place. He missed his freedom…

…

…

Maeda Toshimasu left the kingdom of Aurora on the forty-ninth day. It had been forty-nine days since his father's death. It was time for him to move on and continue on with his life. Katsu had seen him off that day. Before he left, Toshimasu gave his support to Katsu.

After that, Katsu spent the rest of the day preparing for tomorrow. Because, starting tomorrow, the fate of Aurora was in her hands.

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter.

Okay, guys, time for some explanations!

Let's start with Maeda Toshihisa, who I have made the previous Warlord of Aurora. There's not much to say from this guy, since all I got was his name. Maeda Toshimasu, on the other hand…I got more on and let me tell you this…he is not my character. I won't tell you who he is yet, but there are hints to who he is. Also, if you're weirded out with the fact that female hero is twelve years old and the guy who she was previously betrothed (that is now up to the guy to decide if he wishes to follow through with) to is nine years older than her…don't be.

You have to remember that the region of Ransei was based off _feudal_ Japan in the Sengoku era. It was actually normal for a girl to get married young back then… The reason why I made the female hero twelve was because time WILL pass…it takes a month to conquer a kingdom. It took me four years (in-game) to beat the game…yeah… This is also to keep in with the comments on how "young" the Warlord is.

Also, Toshimasu has a shiny Eevee named Tohma and the reason for that was because of **ChibiFoxAI**…yeah, expect to see her name a lot in this story. She's gonna be main contributor to this story. :D I would be lost without her! ^^

The "DISHONOR" rant was from her and it was meant to be sad…once you finish laughing, that is. I'll explain it more once I've finished giving you an insight of Japanese funerals, which I did some research on…a lot of it.

In former times, people used to wear white clothing to funerals. Nowadays, people wear black clothes. Since Ransei was based off feudal Japan during the Sengoku era, white clothing was worn…hey! I looked into the whole background of Nobunaga and everything connected to him! This included knowledge of Warlords and the Sengoku era…I knows mah history, now! DX

Another thing, although Japan has become a more secular society, 91% of funerals are conducted as Buddhist ceremonies… The way the funeral goes, depends on the region. Also, the bone-picking is an actual part of the funeral and only _relatives_ participate in this. Anything added to that part is from me and it was done in order for me to use **ChibiFoxAI**'s "DISHONOR" rant… It started off as a comment, but then it became part of the fic.

It was meant to be funny at first and became a running gag between us, but as we continued on with the "DISHONOR" rant, we actually found it rather sad since…look at it this way. Toshihisa's own Warriors practically snubbed him after his death…after his **death**. Try putting yourself in his position and put your friends in the Warriors' position… What you get is this: You have been ditched by the people you trusted.

So if you laughed at that "DISHONOR" rant…then our (**ChibiFoxAI** and mine) job is done. The out of place humor that the "DISHONOR" rant had was meant to show Toshimasu's immaturity. It actually made sense after I looked more into this rant. **ChibiFoxAI** noticed it as well after I told her.

Anyways, let me finished this off with the 49th day… On the 49th day after the death of the person it is assumed that the deceased has begun their new life in the land of the dead unless something is keeping them here.

**ChibiFoxAI** and I have been talking much more lately and so far, we've been immersed in the _Pokémon Conquest_ universe thanks to my fic (that **ChibiFoxAI** is contributing her ideas to). What we have managed to come up with, aside from some running gags, is how _Pokémon Conquest_ Warlords work. It is considered dishonorable for a Warlord to attack a kingdom during the first forty-nine days after a Warlord's death. That was why there haven't been any conflicts during those forty-nine days. After those forty-nine days, Warlords can go wild…or, in the words of **Chibi**!

**ChibiFoxAI**: "Plan for 49, go wild on Day 50."

Now I think that is all I have to say, so review if you wish because reviews are love~! FLAMES ARE NOT WELCOMED! DX Wait patiently for the next chapter if you wish to stick with this story, so until then, KD out! XD


	3. Oichi

Today was the first of January, the start of yet another new year. Katsu had woken up early with everything already planned out for today. She was wearing Toshimasu's old clothing from his childhood. Surprisingly, the clothing fit well, but the armor was where she had problems. It was heavy and the shape of the breastplate did not fit her figure as comfortably. (1)

She wanted to change back into her own clothing, but she had already decided on wearing Toshimasu's clothing. It was her way of integrating herself into the Maeda clan. Besides, it was only for today and today only. Tomorrow, it was back to her usual clothing and armor…that actually _fit_ her well and wasn't as _heavy_.

She tied her hair in a low ponytail with a plain white hair tie and then put on her maedate. She handled the maedate with care as it had been the last gift she had ever received from Toshihisa. A few years ago, she had out-grown her old maedate, so Toshihisa had another forged for her. Until recently, it had fit her big, but that was the point of it since Toshihisa had it made so she could grow into it.

After adjusting her maedate a few times, Katsu turned to her Eevee, who had been watching her the entire time. "What do you think, Hinata?"

Hinata the Eevee took one look at Katsu and yawned. _"Vui~!"_

Katsu sighed. "Good enough…"

At that moment, a young lady with pink hair walked into the room. "Lady Katsu, someone is waiting for you at the front of the gates…"

Katsu turned to the young lady and nodded her head. "Ah…thank you, Akane."

Akane was one of the servants working at the castle of Aurora. She was new to her job, having worked on her family's farm beforehand. In her younger years, Akane had caught the attention of a much younger Katsu with her kindness. Her kindness was later rewarded with a small donation of gold that was used to improve her family's farm. Out of gratitude, Akane decided to start working at the castle and has been for the past few weeks.

Akane looked over at Katsu and arched her brow. "Lady Katsu, not to be rude, but do you want me to start calling you, 'Lord', instead?"

Katsu shook her head. "It's fine, Akane…"

Hinata had been right…the armor and clothing did make her look like a boy.

…

…

Katsu found herself being stared at by a mysterious young girl the minute she had stepped through the castle gates. The young girl was around her age, maybe a little older. She had warm, brown eyes and long, russet brown hair pinned up with a kanzashi.

The girl wore a white kimono with pink and gold coloration at the ends. Under it, she wore two kosode, one over the other. The first kosode was blue and the second one underneath it was white. A blue hanhaba obi was tied in a chōchō musubi around her waist over the kimono. Blue and orange obijime were tied around the obi. She also wore white tabi socks that went up to her knees and red zori sandals. A pink shawl covered her shoulders.

Katsu was awed by the girl's beauty, but what had her attention the most was the Jigglypuff the girl carried.

"Hmm…" the girl seemed to be analyzing Katsu, as was her Jigglypuff. The girl was lost in deep thought and seemed to be nervous. Suddenly, someone bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. "Ahh!"

Katsu reacted quickly and prevented the girl from falling down. The girl looked at Katsu, somewhat flustered.

"Ah…thank you," she said, nervously.

Katsu just nodded and turned her attention to the person who had bumped into the girl. She arched her brow as she noticed that it was just a little boy around the age of eight or so. The boy had short, brown hair and eyes of the same color. He wore a white and black haori over his white hakamashita and red hakama.

He had on a faded gold breastplate over his hakamashita and his hands were covered with metal gloves. He wore a single red pauldron on his right shoulder and had on a white and red fur headdress with gold horns. A small Pawniard accompanied the boy.

The boy and Pawniard stared at Katsu and the girl with matching blank expressions. Their stares would be unnerving, were it not for the boy's short height and young age making him seem adorable.

After a few moments of silence, the boy spoke. "So, this is Aurora's new Warlord…?"

Katsu arched her brow at the boy. Just who was this kid?

"Hey, is that an Eevee?"

Katsu blinked and noticed that the boy wasn't alone. Standing right next to him was a taller and slightly older boy. He seemed to be around ten years old, only two years Katsu's minor. He had black eyes and black hair done in a chonmage style. He had on a small, black bandage over the bridge of his nose.

His clothing's coloration consisted of maroon, gold, and black. He had on full silver armor with a breastplate of the same color. He wore black and gold armor around his neck. He stood in a slouched manner, making him seem shorter than he was. His expression looked rather stern as he stared at Katsu. A Sandile stood in front of his feet wearing a similar expression like his.

"That's a Pokémon you don't usually see around here."

Another boy walked up to the other two boys. He seemed around nine years old and, in terms of height, was in the middle between the first boy and the second boy. He had short, silver hair and eyes of the same color. He was more casual in both posture and appearance in comparison to the other two boys. Like the other two boys, he had a Pokémon with him. The Pokémon was an Axew.

…

…

Five minutes had passed and neither of them had said anything. Katsu sighed and diverted her gaze on the landscape outside the castle gates. The area outside of the castle gates actually served as the battlefield of Aurora. Should she receive a challenge, the battle would take place on this exact field. It was simple, and victory was to be reached through usual terms and that was through the defeat of one side's Pokémon.

Katsu blinked when she noticed two burly men approaching the castle. Two Pokémon accompanied the men, but there was something about them that worried Katsu. When Hinata suddenly jumped into her arms and started growling, Katsu grew even more concerned.

"You four, get inside the castle, now!" Katsu told the three boys and one girl. "Don't ask any questions, just do what I say!"

The three boys protested and refused, but the girl quickly complied with Katsu's request. She scolded the boys and forced them through the castle gates. Before the castle guards closed the gates, the girl took one last look at Katsu and then continued forward.

…

"Hey, you!" one of the men called out to her.

Katsu kept her ground as the two burly men approached her. Hinata was growling even louder, her fur beginning to puff up.

"You're Katsu, right?" the first man asked her before biting into a Sitrus berry. "Aurora's new Warlord?"

Katsu nodded her head. "Yes…who are you?"

The man chewed and swallowed. "I'm Koroku."

"And I'm Nagayasu," the other man said as he flexed one of his biceps. "We're from Ignis. That's the kingdom next to this one…"

"And we've come to challenge you to a battle!" Koroku stated.

Katsu's breath hitched. _"A battle this soon? But I'm still without an army…this isn't good…"_

It was just her and two of them. They could easily double-team her and take her down…

"Will you accept?" Koroku asked as he stared down at Katsu. "Or will you retreat?"

Katsu bit her lip and looked down. She had no choice but to accept. Toshihisa had entrusted her with his kingdom and she would defend it until the very end.

"So where's your army?" Nagayasu asked, looking around any Warriors.

Katsu scowled. "You're staring at it…"

Koroku smirked. "Heh! This is gonna be easy!"

"Aurora is good as ours!" Nagayasu remarked.

Katsu glared at Koroku and Nagayasu. It was their type of confidence that's she hated the most. They took her for granted, but deep down, she knew she couldn't take on both of them alone…she needed help. But where was she going get help right now at this moment?

"Please, wait!" a soft voice called out.

Katsu blinked and turned around. It was that girl with the Jigglypuff again. She dashed over to Katsu's side, panting afterwards as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'll…fight…with you!" she said between pants. "I'll help you!"

"_Jiggly!"_ her Jigglypuff exclaimed, puffing up afterwards.

The girl was nervous and she hated conflict, but she couldn't just let Katsu fight on her own. It was two against one and victory over that was very slim. The girl decided to even the odds by helping Katsu out.

"…Well, the more the merrier," was Nagayasu's response.

Koroku just laughed. "Join forces if you like—it won't make a difference!"

Katsu stroked her Eevee's fur. "We'll see about that…"

"Heh, I feel sorry for you, having just become a Warlord and all," Koroku began. "But you're gonna have to leave that castle before you even settle in."

Katsu growled. "Too late for that! I've been living in that castle for more than seven years, now! It's not just a castle…it's my home! And I'll defend it to the very end! Now shut up and take your positions on the other side of the field!"

…

…

Koroku and Nagayasu were on the far end of the battlefield. Their Pokémon consisted of a Tepig and Bidoof, respectively. As a rule, the defending kingdom attacked second, meaning that Koroku and Nagayasu had the first attack.

Katsu anticipated their first move, but was reassured with the distance between them. In a battle, both Pokémon and Warrior were meant to act as one. Before once could attack, they had to reach their opponent. The battlefield was meant to hinder a Pokémon and Warrior. The battle would officially begin the moment two opponents met face to face.

"Okay!" Koroku exclaimed. "Let's take off, Tepig!"

Koroku and his Tepig ran onto the battlefield. Instead of taking the dirt path, the two took a shortcut through a very shallow pond. To Koroku, it was an easy feat, but to his Tepig, it was an endeavor just to even take a step into the pond. As Koroku scolded his Tepig as he tried to get it to move, Nagayasu and his Bidoof made it past Koroku.

Katsu's eyes gleamed as she took a step forward. "Let's move!"

The girl looked at Katsu and nodded. "Leave it to me!"

The girl and her Jigglypuff took off in the direction of Nagayasu and his Bidoof. Katsu had her eyes set on Koroku. She was still fuming from his comments, but his treatment of Tepig was getting on her nerves. Warriors and their partner Pokémon were supposed to get along. They were in it together, not separately.

…

…

The girl looked nervously at Nagayasu, but kept her ground. Her Jigglypuff puffed up and glared at Nagayasu and his Bidoof. Nagayasu couldn't take Jigglypuff seriously and started laughing.

"You think you can beat us with that?" he said between laughs.

The girl lost all of her anxiety and was now enraged. "Jigglypuff, use Sing!"

The girl quickly covered her ears as Jigglypuff inhaled deeply. Nagayasu had no idea what was going on as he was laughing, but once he heard the sweet lullaby Jigglypuff was singing, he grew tense. He was beginning to get drowsy, which was not a good sign.

"Bidoof…use Tackle…" he said sluggishly. He was hoping Bidoof could attack Jigglypuff and interrupt its singing. However, that was not the case as Jigglypuff was still singing. "Bidoof, use Tackle!"

Bidoof was having difficulties moving. _"Bi…doof…"_

Jigglypuff continued singing and only stopped once Bidoof had fallen asleep. Jigglypuff then began to inhale deeply, trying to regain the oxygen it had just lost. The girl was relieved that Bidoof had fallen asleep by now. It took a whole minute for Jigglypuff's song to take effect.

She had read that Jigglypuff would endanger their own lives by continuing their song until their lungs run out of air if a foe resisted sleep. Because of this, she rarely had her Jigglypuff used Sing.

"Bidoof, you useless Pokémon, wake up!" Nagayasu exclaimed.

The girl was shocked. "H-How can you say that to your own Partner?"

"If a Pokémon can't fight, it's useless!" Nagayasu said before kicking Bidoof right on its side.

Bidoof woke up almost at once as it cried out in pain. _"Bidoof!"_

"That'll teach you to slack off!" Nagayasu snapped. "Now use Tackle on Jigglypuff!"

Bidoof limped over to Jigglypuff. It tried to tackle Jigglypuff, but the pain in its side was unbearable. Bidoof couldn't stand up any longer and collapsed onto the ground.

"_Bi…doof…"_ it said weakly.

Nagayasu scowled. "Useless Pokémon!"

What happened next shocked the girl completely as she witness Nagayasu mistreating his own Pokémon. Bidoof was getting kicked repeatedly by its own partner…and all it could do was take it all. She couldn't believe it…but it was happening right before her eyes.

Tears began to weld up in her eyes and when she heard a sickening crack, she couldn't take it any longer. "Stop it! Just stop it!"

This was why she hated conflicted. She hated how cruel some Warriors could be. She had seen what a Warrior had done to his Pokémon before…he killed it. She wasn't able to do anything that time, but this time, she would do something! She was not going to let another innocent Pokémon die by their partner's hands, not this time!

"STOP IT!" she yelled.

Nagayasu ceased his kicking momentarily and turned to the girl. "Shut your mouth! He's my Pokémon, I could treat him however I want!"

"Not in my kingdom, you won't!" a voice yelled. "Hinata, use Quick Attack on Nagayasu!"

Before Nagayasu could process what he had just heard, he felt the wind knocked out of his lungs. He stumbled back and felt flat on his rear end. His vision went blurry for a few seconds. When his vision cleared, he found himself staring right into the eyes of the new Warlord of Aurora.

Katsu was furious. She had just finished knocking out Koroku's Tepig not that long ago. Hinata had managed to pull a critical Quick Attack on Tepig. When Katsu had turned to see how that girl and her Jigglypuff were doing, she had never expected to witness such cruelty towards a Pokémon.

Even Koroku wasn't that brutal to his Pokémon. He just scolded it, nothing more than that. However, Nagayasu…Nagayasu had proven he had no sense of dignity when it came to losing. Katsu had no need for someone like that in her kingdom. She could very well kick Nagayasu out of her kingdom now.

She had won the battle the exact moment when Bidoof had collapsed onto the ground. Aurora Castle was still hers. By the end of the day, people will know of her victory. It would do well for her in terms of making a good impression. Her first impression on the people of Aurora would matter the most. Gaining their trust was vital in proving her worth as the new Warlord.

But right now, her top priority was in Nagayasu's Bidoof. The poor Pokémon looked absolutely broken. She didn't know what pained the Pokémon more, his partner's abuse or his partner's betrayal.

…

…

Katsu and the girl sat on the porch, watching the three boys they had encountered earlier playing around with Armaldo and Shieldon in the garden. Katsu had yet to receive any names from the boys, but she let them be. They meant no harm and she welcomed the laughter the three had brought to the castle. It lessened the tension that Katsu had felt when she had given Nagayasu's Bidoof to the castle doctor.

Nagayasu had left with Koroku to Ignis kingdom not that long ago. Katsu was rather annoyed with how little Nagayasu cared for Bidoof. He had just abandoned the poor Pokémon and left it there on the battlefield. Unlike Nagayasu, Koroku, despite his first impression he had given Katsu when he started scolding Tepig, actually did care for his Pokémon.

Two hours had passed and the two had yet to receive any news on Bidoof's condition. During those two hours, Katsu had learned a lot about the girl with the Jigglypuff. Oichi was her name and she was a Warrior. She and her Jigglypuff had been on a journey to the kingdom of Aurora. She wouldn't say anything about where she came from, just that she was a wandering Warrior. She had come to Aurora to see the new Warlord, having heard of the news during her journey. She was rather surprised to learn that the new Warlord was girl around her age.

The two girls were currently drinking tea and eating ponigiri with their Pokémon. As they did this, they talked.

"That is a lot of responsibility you have…" Oichi said as she handed her Jigglypuff some ponigiri. She held her Jigglypuff in her arms. "Are you sure you're doing fine?"

"It's still my first day, but for a first day…it has been rather stressful. I never expected my first battle to be this soon…" Katsu sighed and took a sip of her tea. Her Eevee, Hinata, sat by her side, currently eating some ponigiri.

"You don't have an army, do you, Lady Katsu?" Oichi had overheard the people of Aurora talking about this, but she had yet to find out why Aurora's new Warlord had no army. "What happened?"

Katsu scowled and set her cup on the floor. "They abandoned Aurora and scattered throughout Ransei sometime after Lord Toshihisa's death… It comes to show how loyal they were to their Lord…"

"Why would they do that?" Oichi wanted to know. It was something she had never heard of.

Katsu looked down. "Because I was made successor… His Warriors didn't like that I was successor…they just didn't trust me."

"Why wouldn't they?" Oichi asked. "Aren't you Lord Toshihisa's daughter?"

"That's right, but…not by blood," Katsu replied. "I'm not part of the Maeda clan, you know… I used to be nobody before I met Lord Toshihisa. I had no name, no home…no life. I just had Eevee…"

Katsu looked at Hinata. Hinata was about ready to take a bit into another serving of ponigiri, but stopped when she noticed her partner was looking at her. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at Katsu. Hinata closed her eyes as Katsu patted her head.

Oichi looked perplexed. "What do you mean? You have a name…"

Katsu turned to Oichi and smiled weakly. "Yes, but it's the name Lord Toshihisa gave me. He gave me a name when I couldn't remember my own. He gave me life with an actual future. When he made me successor two years ago, I was so happy because he trusted me. He trusted me when nobody else did."

Oichi placed her hand on Katsu's shoulder. "I trust you…"

Katsu placed her hand on Oichi's hand. "Thank you… It really means a lot to me…"

"I can tell," Oichi said as she removed her hand. "I can also tell that you're better off without those Warriors. Um, i-if you don't mind…"

Katsu tilted her head to the side. "What is it?"

"I'd like to join your army, Lady Katsu!" Oichi said nervously.

"Wha…?" Katsu was stunned.

"Would you be willing to have me?" Oichi asked, her voice much clearer than before. "I know we've only just met, but I want to help you succeed. So, please, can I?"

"Ah…of course!" Katsu replied.

"Thank you!" Oichi smiled widely as she clapped her hands together. Her Jigglypuff mimicked her partner's actions, having sensed Oichi's sudden happiness. "As a Warrior, I will give my all in your service. But…it is a worry…"

Katsu frowned. "What's wrong?"

Oichi ceased her smiling, her Jigglypuff doing the same. "It seems the flames of conflict have finally reached Aurora as well…"

Katsu crossed her arms. "As unfortunate as it may be, it was going to happen sooner or later."

Oichi sighed. "I just didn't think it would be this soon…"

"Well, you got me there," Katsu remarked. "I guess that means we're going to have to prepare ourselves."

Oichi looked questioningly at Katsu. "Huh?"

"If we want to defend the kingdom of Aurora, we're going to have to get stronger," Katsu explained. "Because chances are, next time won't be as easy…"

"I just hope next time won't be as brutal…" Oichi had had enough of seeing Pokémon getting hurt by their own partners.

Katsu couldn't help but agree with Oichi. "Likewise…"

"By the way, may I ask you a question, Lady Katsu?" Oichi had been wondering for a while, and hoped that she could finally get an answer.

Katsu blinked. "Sure, Oichi…what is it?"

"Isn't that armor rather uncomfortable?" Oichi asked her as she looked over Katsu. "Not to be rude or anything, but you look like a boy."

Katsu resisted the urge to let out an exasperated sigh.

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter.

Blah! This chapter took me a while and that was because I had to do MORE research! DX Hope you guys are happy because I had to look up a lot of things…and most of it was focused on clothing. Yeah, at first, I was firm on being descriptive about Oichi, Mitsunari, Masanori, and Kiyomasa, but everything began to peter out once I got to Masanori…damn you and your clothing! DX Same with you, Kiyomasa! Gah…

At least I got mah girl, Oichi, done. :D I like Oichi…she's such a sweetie… I went to hell and back with this girl on my team. She was the medic and when that Jigglypuff evolved into Wigglytuff, she became even more awesome!

Anyways, I kinda didn't like how this first battle went out, but hear me out. I'm still trying to figure out how to implement the game play into this story. It took me a while, but I managed… Hopefully, I get better as I move from battlefield to battlefield… Avia's battlefield is so going to get an early mention as a heart-attack-inducing field to those scared of heights.

Also, Koroku and Nagayasu…yeah, Nagayasu's violence towards Bidoof is based off of a comment of his during the battle at Ignis castle…he called his Bidoof useless and I decided to put that into play. Hear me out when I say that the brutality is going to make sense later, especially if you've played the game and finished the main storyline.

Also, let's get onto that single note.

(1) If you're wondering what exactly Katsu is wearing…think of the male hero's outfit…there we go! Yeah, I compared clothing and made some inferences and observations. Male hero's armor would definitely get in the way of female hero, especially around the breastplate. You would think that the male hero's breastplate wouldn't make a difference on the female hero since she is as flat as a board, especially in comparison to the important female characters (I'm talking about female characters like Nene, Kai, Kunoichi and Nō… _especially_ Nō). However, that is not the case as here's the problem…Male hero has a bigger torso than female hero and male hero's breastplate covers his torso, unlike the female hero's breastplate.

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is how heavy the armor is. I have it in my mind that female hero is meant to be more speedy than the male hero, so she wears lightweight armor…just compare the male and female hero yourselves! DX By the way, if you're wondering how Katsu can look like a boy...I'll tell you this: LONG HAIR DOES NOTHING! Just look at Mitsuhide...and Ranmaru gets a huge special mention thanks to his participation in Ransei's Greatest Beauty. Let me just say: Dude looks like a lady...a very pretty lady.

Well, that's it for notes and I recommend all of you guys study up on your history on the Sengoku period. There are a lot of things from history that are implemented into Pokémon Conquest…by the way, if you guys are still wondering about Maeda Toshimasu…

Then I'm amazed that you guys haven't thought of looking up his name. Trust me, it's not hard to figure out who he is since I gave you hints. Toshimasu is an actual character in _Pokémon Conquest_…just to help you out, try the Koei wiki. Yeah…look it up! DX

Oh, and remember Akane the servant? She's a character from the Pokémon games…I'm using her Japanese name. I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys are familiar with her…especially if you had the unfortunate luck battling her with male Pokémon. And guess what, she won't be the only character from other games to be put into this story. XD I'll explain it later…

Well, that's it for this chapter…gah, not exactly my favorite, aside from Oichi being in it. Hope you guys didn't find it as bad as me… well, reviews are love~! NO FLAMES! DX And wait patiently for the next chapter! You guys have no idea how much dedication I put into my research just so I can specify one thing…due to that, it takes me time to get these chapters up sooner.

So until next time, KD out! XD


	4. Ignis Kingdom

_The Ransei region… An area inhabited by Warriors, those privileged few capable of communicating wordlessly with Pokémon. In Ransei, there is a tale of yore, passed down from generation to generation:_

_If any one Warlord can conquer all seventeen kingdoms of Ransei, then the Pokémon that created Ransei shall reveal itself._

_The Warriors of the land all believe that this tale is true, indeed, it is what drives them all. And as a result, countless battles are fought for control of the kingdoms of Ransei._

For that exact reason, Katsu and Oichi spent the next month training with their Pokémon. They never did get the names of those three boys. They had left the castle before the two girls could even ask them. Aside from that, Nagayasu's Bidoof had pulled through. However…he would never be able to battle again. Because of that, Bidoof was now a permanent resident of Aurora Castle.

Today was the start of a new month and would have been another day of training, were it not for a certain trio interrupting the two girls during their training. The girls were at the ravine, looking for wild Pokémon to train on when they had encountered the three boys and their Pokémon.

The boy with the Pawniard called out to Katsu. "You there!"

"You're Katsu, right?" the boy with the Sandile asked.

Katsu blinked and nodded her head. "Yes…why do you ask?"

"Because you look like a girl this time," the boy with the Sandile replied.

Oichi laughed a bit. "I will assure you that Lady Katsu is indeed a girl…"

The boy with the Pawniard crossed his arms and looked away from his friend. "I told you she was a girl…"

Katsu resisted the urge to face palm. She was back to wearing her usual clothing and armor that fit…right after receiving a big, "I told you so," from one of the castle servants. Her clothing consisted of a plain, white kosode with purple, thigh-length socks and white boots. A purple obi was wrapped around her waist and a pink sash was tied over it, keeping the obi in place as well as the kosode. She now wore her ponytail with a blue hair clip that Oichi had gotten her a few days ago.

"What do you want?" Katsu just wanted to get back to training. She and Oichi were working on strengthening their Pokémon's attacks. Hinata and Oichi's Jigglypuff stood by their partners' sides.

The boy with the Axew came in between the other two boys. "Hey! Mitsunari! Masanori! Leave them alone!"

Masanori, the boy with the Sandile, placed his hands on his hips. "Come on, Kiyomasa! We need to have a word with these guys, or they won't know what they're doing!"

Mitsunari, the boy with the Pawniard, turned to Katsu and Oichi. "Yeah… We hear that you're training your Pokémon a lot…"

Katsu crossed her arms. "Well, you heard right…"

Oichi nodded her head. "We are training…"

"But what for?" Mitsunari asked. "What can you two hope to achieve?"

Katsu was taken aback with Mitsunari's question. "W-what?"

"I-I…!" Oichi was at a loss for words.

Kiyomasa, the boy with the Axew, held out his hands as he sighed. "Well, they're right, you know."

"What do you mean?" Oichi asked Kiyomasa.

Kiyomasa looked at Oichi. "You have to do more than just train. Eventually, you need to challenge another kingdom to a battle. If you win that, you can get some more Warriors and Pokémon to join your army."

"It would do you good since Aurora practically has no army," Masanori remarked.

"Strengthen your army, and win battles," Mitsunari said as he picked up his Pawniard. "Those are the tasks of a Warlord…" Mitsunari looked blankly at Katsu. "But I'm sure you know that much, right?"

Katsu nodded her head. "Yes…that's why we're training…"

"Huh…" Mitsunari turned to Oichi, his expression still blank. "What about you?"

"Uh…Well, I…" Oichi paused for a moment and then turned to Katsu. Oichi didn't like this, but…she knew what had to be done. "Lady Katsu…If we really want to become stronger, we're going to have to challenge other kingdoms to battle. I think the time has come for us to make our first move."

Katsu bit her lip, but nodded. She really didn't want to do this…not now…not when she didn't have anyone to leave in charge of Aurora. But she had to take a risk, for the sake of Aurora. Before anything, though, she had something she needed to do, first. A thought just came to her…if she was willing to risk Aurora in order to conquer Ignis, then she might as well take another risk…

Katsu walked up to the three boys and looked down at them. "You three…you're Warriors, aren't you?"

Kiyomasa looked at Katsu. "Yeah…we are…"

"You're not thinking of recruiting us, are you?" Masanori asked as he eyed Katsu curiously.

"If you haven't noticed, we're rather young…" Mitsunari said blankly.

Katsu blinked and grinned widely. "From what I can tell already, you three have experience, so age doesn't matter at all to me. And, if you weren't aware of it already, I'm only twelve years old, which makes me rather young for a _Warlord_."

Mitsunari turned away from Katsu. "Why should we join your army, anyways?"

"You don't have to join my army," Katsu replied. "Not yet…"

Mitsunari looked at Katsu. "What is it you're up to?"

"I want to know more about you three…" All Katsu knew about them were their names and the Pokémon they had. "Tell me who you are…"

Masanori was the first to respond. "Fukushima Masanori…I'm turning eleven this August."

"_Fukushima…?"_ The name sounded familiar to Katsu. She thought about it momentarily and snapped out of her thoughts when she found herself looking directly into Sandile's face. "Huh?"

"This is my partner!" Masanori said energetically as he held up his Sandile. "His name is Meguro!"

Katsu stared into Meguro's eyes. "Uh…hi?"

Meguro the Sandile narrowed his eyes at Katsu. _"Croco…"_

SNAP!

Katsu stared wide-eyed at Meguro. Meguro had just snapped his jaws at Katsu. This earned Meguro a slight scolding from Masanori.

"Meguro, I thought we went over this!" Masanori said to his Pokémon. "We don't snap at people, especially in their faces…_especially_ if they're our Warlord!"

Meguro looked sheepishly at Masanori. _"Croco…"_ (1)

Masanori sighed and looked at Katsu. "I'm sorry…he tends to do that."

Katsu shook her head. She didn't really mind…she just wasn't prepared for something like that. It caught her by surprise…

"Katō Kiyomasa," Kiyomasa suddenly spoke. "I'm turning ten this July…and this is my partner, Axew."

Axew looked at Katsu as it held onto its partner's leg. _"Kiba…"_

"His name is Kiba," Kiyomasa replied before turning to Mitsunari. "It's your turn, Mitsunari."

Mitsunari turned away from Kiyomasa. "I don't want to…"

Masanori crossed his arms. "C'mon, Mitsunari…"

"You're being rude to our Warlord," Kiyomasa said as he placed his hands on his hips. "Don't be such a child…"

"This coming from the boy who is only nine…" Mitsunari said dryly.

"He's older than you," Masanori said before giving Mitsunari a slight push towards Katsu. "Now open up!"

Mitsunari refused to speak and diverted his eyes way from Katsu. His Pawniard just stared at Katsu for a few seconds before turning to Kiyomasa and Masanori.

Kiyomasa shrugged. "Hah, being difficult at a time like this…"

…

…

"Ishida Mitsunari…" Mitsunari finally said after three minutes of silence. "I'm turning nine in November…My partner is Pawniard…"

"Does your partner have a name?" Katsu asked as she looked at Mitsunari.

Mitsunari looked away from Katsu. "…It's Sakichi…"

Katsu arched her brow. "Sakichi…?"

That name…it _definitely_ sounded familiar… But right now, Katsu didn't have the time to think about it. She had something else to do.

"Mitsunari, Masanori, Kiyomasa…would you three do me the favor of watching over Aurora while Oichi and I challenge Ignis Kingdom?" Katsu asked. "That's all I ask of you…nothing more, nothing less."

The three boys stared at Katsu. The Warlord of Aurora had just asked them to watch over the kingdom…

"Are you making fun of us?" Masanori asked, looking slightly annoyed.

Katsu shook her head. "I'm not…I'm serious."

Mitsunari stared blankly at Katsu. "…You're stupid…"

"Maybe I am, but that doesn't matter," Katsu replied. "Just answer my question…are you willing to watch over Aurora while Oichi and I challenge Ignis Castle? I ask for nothing in return except maybe a consideration of joining my army, but that is completely optional."

Mitsunari, Masanori, and Kiyomasa huddled up together in a small circle. They whispered amongst each other, with Masanori glancing briefly at Katsu every few seconds. After a minute or two, the trio separated and walked up to Katsu.

Kiyomasa stepped forward and spoke for himself, Masanori, and Mitsunari. "We accept."

Katsu smiled and bowed. "Thank you so much!"

"As for your offer for us to join your army…" Kiyomasa began. "If you manage to conquer Ignis Castle, we'll join your army."

Katsu stared at Kiyomasa and looked at Oichi. Oichi was rather stunned. Sure, the boys were young, but they were Warriors nonetheless. Besides, age didn't really matter in this situation. Katsu needed to build up her army and these three kids were her best bet at a good start. However, that was only if Katsu conquered Ignis Castle…

Oichi had her doubts at first, but in the past month she started living with Katsu at Aurora Castle, the two have grown close. Katsu was someone she could trust…someone Oichi could support. Oichi knew what to do…

"You have given us your word," Oichi said. "There's no taking that back…"

Kiyomasa nodded his head. "We know…so how long do we have to watch over Aurora?"

"Until we conquer Ignis Castle," Katsu suddenly replied. "Just make sure not to mess up my castle… And don't bother the servants too much, they have limits."

Masanori stared at Katsu and grinned widely. "I like your attitude!"

Mitsunari smirked. "Such confidence…maybe I might have overestimated you."

Kiyomasa placed his hand on his forehead and smiled helplessly. "I think we all might have overestimated her."

Oichi clapped her hands together and laughed. "So it is settled! I guess we better prepare, right Jigglypuff?"

Oichi's Jigglypuff jumped into the air and mimicked her partner. _"Jiggly!"_

Katsu knelt down and picked up her Eevee. "Let's make it count, Hinata."

Hinata's ears twitched in response to Katsu. After a few seconds, Hinata smiled and nodded. _"Vui!"_

…

…

…

Oichi yawned into her hand as she waited patiently for Katsu outside the castle gates. She and her Jigglypuff were already on a Doduo, preparing to set off for Ignis Kingdom. Katsu was currently leaving off a set of instructions to one of her servants. The instructions were meant to help out Mitsunari, Masanori, and Kiyomasa as once she and Oichi left Aurora, the kingdom was the boys' responsibility.

The boys were currently asleep at this time since it was very early in the morning. Dawn was beginning to approach, Oichi noted after noticing the small outline of pink in the horizon. Soon, the sun will rise…

"_I wonder who else we'll be up against…"_ Oichi thought, frowning afterwards. She hoped she wouldn't have to go up against Warriors like Nagayasu… She would hate to see another Pokémon go through what Bidoof had gone through. _"Never again…"_

A few minutes had passed before Katsu walked out of the castle gates, leading a Doduo by the reins on its beak. Hinata followed after her Partner, the gates closing behind them right after. Katsu looked back at Aurora castle, the gates now closed to her for once. She felt nervous now, but at the same time, motivated to protecting what mattered most: her home and everyone within it.

With that thought in mind, Katsu and her Eevee mounted Doduo. She gave Aurora Castle one last glance before snapping Doduo's reins. Almost immediately, the two-headed bird began running. Oichi had been caught off guard, having not expected Katsu to do that so suddenly without a word. She stuttered a bit before she snapped the reins on her Doduo and trailed after Katsu, trying her best to catch up.

…

…

"Lady Katsu, wait up!"

Katsu blinked a few times and pulled the reins. Doduo slowed down in reaction and soon came to a stop. This allowed Oichi and her Doduo to catch up to Katsu.

Oichi sighed in relief and focused her attention on Katsu. "Lady Katsu, please don't do that again…"

Katsu smiled awkwardly at Oichi. "Sorry…"

Oichi sighed and looked back. "Hey, Lady Katsu…Look."

Katsu blinked and looked back. Her eyes widened in awe as she saw just how small the Kingdom of Aurora seemed to be from her current position. It was still within sight, but barely… The Doduo had taken Katsu and Oichi far from Aurora within a small amount of time. Doduo are capable of running at extreme speeds. For that reason, Doduo have been used as of means of quick transportation.

At this rate, it wouldn't take long for Katsu and Oichi to reach Ignis Castle. Though, that wasn't what Katsu had in mind at the moment. It had occurred to her that this was the first time in more than seven years that she had ever been outside of Aurora. It had been so long since she had been on her own with no one but her Eevee.

It was unnerving to be this far from home. Katsu couldn't help but wonder if she should still go through with this. Would Aurora still be hers when she came back? Actually, would it still be there is what concerned her more.

"Lady Katsu, are you all right?"

Katsu snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Oichi. "Huh?"

Oichi frowned. "You seem tense…"

"Oh…sorry, it's just… Katsu gripped Doduo's reins tightly. "This is the first time in seven years that I have ever been out of Aurora…it's nothing, let's go."

Before Oichi could say anything, Katsu snapped Doduo's reins. Oichi once again found herself having to catch up with Katsu again. As for Jigglypuff and Hinata, who have been silent the entire time…they had fallen asleep.

…

…

It had only taken the two a few hours to reach the Kingdom of Ignis, thanks to their Doduo. The Kingdom of Ignis was located within a mountainous terrain and up until Oichi and Katsu had arrived to Ignis, the morning air had been chilly. Now, the air was warm and humid.

Steam rose from the small pools of water they walked past. A young, green-haired girl was walking about, carrying a huge pack on her back full of what seemed to be goods to sell. The young girl was most obviously a merchant, as noted by her huge backpack and the fact that she was accompanied by a Doduo.

Doduo were extremely useful partners for merchants. Aside from their speed, Doduo were capable of handling any hazard a Merchant might encounter on their travels, such as an attack from a wild Pokémon. They were also loyal companions.

…

…

The merchant's name was Nanami. She had recently become a merchant and it showed through her inexperience. She was shy at first, but quickly opened up once Oichi asked about her wares. After some looking and bargaining, Nanami made her first sell of the day. She was absolutely giddy, considering her family consisted of merchants and a good sell was the best way to earn recognition.

Nanami hoped it was enough for her to earn some rare items from some of her family members. Rare items were costly, but they were always in demand. For that reason, it would definitely do her business good. As she thought to herself about this, Katsu and Oichi walked in the direction Nanami had come from.

Sometime later, it had occurred to Nanami that she never got her customers' names. She sighed and let it be, thinking that the chances of meeting those two girls were low. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if, just maybe, she might just meet them again. If she did, she'd definitely ask for their names.

"They were my first customers," Nanami reasoned with herself. She smiled and focused her attention on her Doduo. "Right, Tomoe?"

Tomoe the Doduo just blinked. _"Do?"_

…

…

It was midday when Katsu and Oichi reached Ignis Castle. However, it was evening when the two girls and their Pokémon reached the entrance to the aforementioned castle. The thing about Ignis Castle was that it was located high in the mountains, away from the people of Ignis Kingdom. However, it was built just where it could still keep an eye on them.

While distance was one thing that delayed Katsu and Oichi from reaching the castle, there was another factor: traps. Some of the traps cost them their Doduo, frightening them off and leaving Katsu, Oichi, and their Partner Pokémon on foot. By the time they reached Ignis Castle, the sky was dark and the group was covered in soot and not pleased, whatsoever.

Ignis Castle, during the day, seemed normal, but at night, it was very bright. Fired torches surrounding castle were the source of the current lighting. The castle's golden exterior gleamed in the fire's light. It was a beautiful sight. Normally, Katsu and her Eevee would admire such a sight, however…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Open up, Hideyoshi!" Katsu yelled as she banged her fists against the castle's doors. "I demand to see you right now!"

Oichi looked nervously at Katsu. "Uh, Lady Katsu—"

BANG!

"I don't think—"

BANG!

Oichi frowned. "Lady Katsu…"

BANG!

Oichi furrowed her brow. "Lady Katsu!"

Katsu immediately stopped, her fist just mere centimeters away from the door. She turned to Oichi, somewhat stunned with her sudden aggressiveness. Oichi had just raised her voice at her…that was something Oichi never did. Even Hinata and Jigglypuff were stunned.

Oichi noticed that herself and covered her mouth with both hands as she gasped. Her cheeks were tinged with a light blush. She was rather embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry, Lady Katsu—"

"You don't have to apologize," Katsu said softly. "What is it—huh?"

Katsu turned her attention back on the door. She blinked a few times and realized that she was staring at a young man. The young man seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. He was tall, but slender and had dark, brown hair.

He wore an uwagi that was primarily white in color, but gold at the lower end of it. He wore an orange jinbaori over his uwagi and wrapped around his neck, he had a yellow scarf with tattered ends. He also wore white zubon and had a brown sash wrapped around his waist. On his wrists, he wore gold bracelets, and on his head, he had on a gold kabuto helmet with adornments that looked similar to a monkey's ears…much like the ones the Pokémon on his shoulder had.

The monkey-like Pokémon, a Chimchar, was primarily a shade of orange with short, brownish-orange fur covering its body. Its face, outer ears, underbelly, hands, and feet were cream in coloration and the inside of its ears was red. It had five fingers on its hand, three toes on its feet, a swirl-like symbol on its chest and red markings above its blue eyes. The most prominent feature on the Pokémon was the burning flame on its rear end. (2)

The Chimchar blinked as it stared at Katsu, tilting its head to the side in question. _"Char?"_

Katsu's anger quickly diminished as it was replaced with embarrassment. She stared nervously at the young man and his Pokémon as she tried to find the right words to say. Oichi just started stuttering and Jigglypuff and Hinata were just trying to ignore the heat.

It was difficult for the girls' Pokémon to withstand the humidity, the steam from the hot springs not helping much. In fact, it caused Hinata's fur to puff up, much to Jigglypuff's amusement and Hinata's annoyance. Why did Ignis Castle have to be built over a hot spring?

…

…

"Hey, what brings a couple of cuties like you to my castle?" the young man asked as he grinned. "I'm Toyotomi Hideyoshi, _Warlord_ of Ignis Kingdom."

Katsu and Oichi stared blankly at the young man. This man…was the Warlord of Ignis Kingdom.

"_Is this a joke?"_ Katsu thought, her embarrassment waning as her anger flared up once more. She was about to say something, but Oichi beat her to it.

"Don't call us, 'cuties', Hideyoshi!" Oichi said sternly. "We're here to discuss important matters, not be courted by such informal names. And for another thing, what is the point of the traps set up around the pathway to Ignis Castle?! That's not very nice!"

Katsu stared wide-eyed at Oichi. Again, she was stunned by Oichi's sudden aggressiveness, but she quickly got over it as Oichi had a point. There were matters to be discussed…or rather, battles to be fought for possession of a certain kingdom. Though, again, before she could say anything, someone else did…and that someone was Hideyoshi reacting to what Oichi just said.

"I apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced on your way to this castle," Hideyoshi said. "Those traps are meant to hinder anyone who was not invited to Ignis Castle or requested a meeting with me."

"What?" Katsu was confused.

Hideyoshi scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I'm guessing you two aren't from Ignis Kingdom since there is a requirement to visit Ignis Castle…if you want to avoid the traps, that is. Due to the traps set up along the way to this castle, I need a bit of a warning so I can send somebody to lead anyone through the traps."

Hideyoshi's Chimchar nodded its head. _"Char!"_

Katsu sighed and shook her head. "It would have helped to have known that earlier…"

Oichi couldn't help but agree. "Indeed…"

Hideyoshi laughed nervously. "I might as well make it up to you two ladies. We'll talk, but first… How about you two come inside and clean up? You two are covered in soot, you know."

Katsu and Oichi narrowed their eyes at Hideyoshi. "We've noticed."

…

…

The interior of Ignis Castle was nothing like that of Aurora Castle. It was more furnished and definitely more decorative than Aurora Castle was, but it lacked plant life and was more materialistic in a sense. It was surprisingly much cooler inside, for some reason, much to the delight of Katsu, Oichi, Hinata, and Jigglypuff.

Hideyoshi led the group through the castle corridors, only stopping when he came across a male servant. The servant was bald and his eyes were obscured behind the dark lenses from the spectacles he wore.

"Katsura, I need you to go find Asuna," Hideyoshi said.

Katsura bowed at Hideyoshi. "Yes, Lord Hideyoshi."

Hideyoshi nodded his head and watched as Katsura left to go find Asuna…whoever that was. After a few minutes, Katsura came back with a young lady with fiery, red hair that flared out in its ponytail. After a brief conversation with Hideyoshi, Katsura left.

The young lady looked questioningly at Hideyoshi. "What is it that you need, Lord Hideyoshi?"

"Asuna, I need you to take these ladies to the baths to clean up," Hideyoshi replied. "Also, try to get them some clean garments as well…"

Katsu and Oichi looked at their clothes in response to this. They really did need clean clothes…

Asuna understood her orders. "All right, Lord Hideyoshi… Come with me, girls, I'll show you the way."

And with that, Hideyoshi watched Asuna lead the girls and their Pokémon away to the baths. He was grinning widely, unable to believe that he had managed to receive two rather attractive girls as visitors to his castle. He made his way to his throne room, his thoughts focused on the brown-eyed girl.

…

* * *

…

"She's definitely feisty, but I like that about her…" Hideyoshi said as he adjusted his sitting position on his throne. His Chimchar was now sitting directly on his stomach.

A young, somewhat sickly-looking boy laid back on the floor with his arms behind his head, listening intently to what Hideyoshi was saying. The boy had messy brown hair and dopey, violet-colored eyes. He seemed to be two or three years younger than Hideyoshi. He also seemed to be dozing off at the moment. The boy dressed in colors of white, blue, orange and yellow.

A small Pichu lounged about on the hat he wore and a Mareep rested its head on the boy's stomach. The Pichu stayed still for a bit before deciding to wake up the boy.

"_Pichu!" _it said, its body crackling slightly with electricity.

The boy opened one eye and stared at his Pichu. "If that's the way you'll be, I guess I won't fall asleep. Don't do that again, you'll hurt yourself."

The Pichu nodded its head. _"Chu!"_

"Seriously, Hanbei, don't you get enough sleep as is?"

Hanbei diverted his eye on a grim-looking young man. The young man seemed much older than Hanbei, maybe even older than Hideyoshi. He dressed mainly in colors of black, white, gold, and small bits of purple and light blue. He had icy blue eyes and his hair was primarily white, but the right side was black. A Duskull was by his side, just floating about.

Hanbei closed his eye and sighed. "What about the other girl, Lord Hideyoshi?"

The dual-haired young man shook his head. _"Typical of Hanbei to change the subject…"_

Hideyoshi thought for a minute. "Well, she is rather pretty, but also rather boyish…I prefer the first girl."

The dual-haired young man sighed. "Did you even ask for their names?"

…

…

"I knew I forgot to do something!" Hideyoshi exclaimed.

The dual-haired young man shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

Hanbei laughed. "That's our Lord Hideyoshi, Kanbei."

Kanbei sighed and looked at his Duskull. Duskull just stared back, its eerie red eye switching from right to left.

"_Dusk?"_ it just said, its red eye switching back to its original location.

Kanbei blinked. "Huh?"

Now that his Duskull mentioned it, Kanbei could hear something…and it was getting louder and closer. It sounded almost like footsteps…but from whom?

"Hideyoshi!" an angry voice yelled out, echoing through the empty hallways.

Whomever it was that called Hideyoshi's name was definitely not happy… And Hideyoshi was visibly bothered by that. He actually cringed in reaction to hearing his name being called out in that tone.

"What did you do this time?" Hanbei asked, not out of curiosity but sheer amusement as he looked at Hideyoshi. Normally, Hanbei wouldn't even bother to bat an eye at anything; however, his curiosity got the best of him as he found the effort to sit up, which explained his current position.

Hideyoshi was quick to react to Hanbei's question. "I didn't do anything this time! Honest!"

Hanbei's smile widened. "That doesn't seem to be the case, Lord Hideyoshi."

Kanbei was silent, not wanting any part of this. He would rather stay away from whatever amusement Hanbei found in this situation and whatever trouble Hideyoshi had gotten himself into…_again_. While his silent demeanor stayed, his stoic expression did not once a young girl entered the throne room…wearing nothing but a white nagajuban. (3)

…

…

Katsu was mad! First, she had to deal with traps on the way to Ignis Castle, then she had to put up with Hideyoshi, and now the Warlord wants to put her in a furisode kimono?! While she appreciated the clean garments, the furisode kimono was not something she could wear if she wanted to challenge Hideyoshi. She needed to speak to him…_now_.

And that is pretty much the reason why she had ran down the hallway, wearing nothing but a nagajuban as she was making her way to the throne room, angrily yelling Hideyoshi's name. It took her a minute to reach the throne room and when she did, she found that Hideyoshi wasn't alone, but she didn't care. This was between her and the Warlord.

"We need to talk, _now_," she said sternly.

Hideyoshi sputtered, suddenly taken aback with Katsu. Hanbei burst into laughter and Kanbei…did nothing but stare. It was like that for a few minutes and by then, Hanbei calmed down. A small moment of silence had occurred between them until…

"Lady Katsu!" a voice yelled out.

Katsu, Hideyoshi, Hanbei, and Kanbei turned. Running into the throne room right now was Oichi, followed by her Jigglypuff and Hinata. Oichi was wearing the same garments as Katsu. However, she carried a pink kimono in her arms, which she threw over Katsu once she had gotten closer to the Warlord. She then spent a few moments adjusting the kimono so it covered Katsu's body.

"It's…bad manners to wear your…nagajuban in front of others…" Oichi panted. Her Jigglypuff mimicked her concerned expression, sans the slight exhaustion. It was as if her Jigglypuff was agreeing with her.

Katsu blinked and looked over Oichi for a few seconds. She then took off the kimono and placed it on Oichi. "Oichi, it's not very ladylike to be in just your nagajuban…"

Oichi blinked a few times and looked at herself. She shrieked and immediately covered herself with the kimono, clinging tightly onto the garment's fabric. She looked red-faced at Katsu and realized something that bugged her a bit.

"How are you so calm?!" Oichi exclaimed.

Katsu shrugged as her Eevee walked to her side. She didn't find anything wrong. It really didn't matter to her because there was something much more important that she needed to get to, first. And it started with Hideyoshi…

Katsu turned to face the Warlord, her expression forming into one of anger. "You…we need to talk, now—huh?"

Once again, Katsu found herself being covered up by another article of clothing, only this time it was a haori…Kanbei's haori, to be exact. The haori fit her rather big and it was somewhat heavy on her. She looked up at Kanbei, who averted his gaze. He was very tall, which explained why the haori fit her big. He seemed rather…nervous.

"You should…cover up…" he said shyly.

Duskull looked questioningly at Kanbei. _"Dusk?"_

…

…

…

"Wow, Kanbei…I've never seen you act like this before."

Kanbei felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face as he turned. "L-likewise…"

Hanbei was grinning widely. Never before had he ever come across something _this_ amusing. Kanbei was visibly nervous…and it was because of a girl. _"Heh…that's a first…"_

Kanbei cleared his throat and tried to change the subject. "W-What is it that you want to talk about?"

Katsu turned and pointed at Hideyoshi. "You…we need to—stop staring at Oichi!"

Hideyoshi had just been staring at Oichi, almost as if he was in a trance. The second he heard Katsu, he snapped out of it and felt his face heating up. He looked nervously at Oichi before slowly turning his head to look at Katsu. She was anything, but amused…she was mad.

"Look, Hideyoshi, I've been waiting all day to talk to you," Katsu said sternly. "This is extremely important and it involves the fate of Ignis Kingdom!"

"What about my kingdom?" Hideyoshi immediately asked. "What's wrong?"

Katsu blinked and smiled. "I'd like to challenge to a battle for Ignis Kingdom."

Hideyoshi narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. "Who are you?!"

Katsu crossed her arms and flipped her hair to get it out of her eyes. She wanted to make sure Hideyoshi was watching and listening very closely. "I am Maeda Katsu, daughter of Maeda Toshihisa and current Warlord of Aurora."

Hinata nodded her head firmly. _"Vui!"_

Hideyoshi's eyes widened. "You…you're the Warlord of Aurora?! What are _you_ doing here?!"

"I believe some of your men infiltrated my Kingdom in an attempt to conquer it for you," Katsu said calmly. "I thought it would be appropriate if I were to return the favor."

Hanbei nodded his head. "Ah, so you're the Warlord that Nagayasu and Koroku had been talking about. I didn't expect you to be…"

"Young?" Kanbei suggested.

Hanbei shook his head. "Not what I was going to say, but now that you mention it, she is rather young. I think she might even be younger than you and that's saying a lot."

Kanbei refused to give respond to that statement…as did Katsu, since she overheard. Her being young was becoming an irritable subject when it came to her status as Aurora's Warlord. It just got on her nerves and it reminded her of the times where she had been avoided when she was named as Toshihisa's successor. Still, she was curious about Kanbei, considering he didn't seem young.

Oichi looked at Hanbei. "How old is he?"

Hanbei stretched his arms. "Hmm…he just turned fourteen last December…I'm fifteen, by the way." (4)

Katsu's eyes widened. "Fourteen?!"

Oichi was just as shocked. "But he looks so much…I mean, you too…"

That was just a two-year age difference between Katsu and Kanbei…

"We get that sort of reaction a lot…" Kanbei said before looking at his Duskull. "I'm Kuroda Kanbei and this is my Partner, Yoshitaka…"

"We call him, 'Yoshi', for short," Hanbei remarked. "I'm Takenaka Hanbei and this Mareep is my Partner, Kaminari."

Hanbei reached out for his Mareep and petted it on the head. It bleated contently and wagged its tail from side to side. Going unnoticed, at least by Hanbei, was a Pichu, who was currently hanging onto Hanbei's hat.

"_Chu…"_ it said.

Oichi blinked. "What about that one?"

Hanbei looked up at the Pichu on his hat. "Hmm…this little one is not suitable for battle. Pichu are prone to randomly discharging electricity and can shock themselves because of youth and inexperience. It will take this little one a while to perfect his ability at controlling and storing electricity. He'll get better when he gets older…his name is Raijin, by the way. And you are?"

"Oichi," Oichi replied. "And this Jigglypuff is my Partner."

Oichi's Jigglypuff jumped up in the air in response. _"Jiggly!"_

…

…

"Hey, Hideyoshi, it's not nice to stare with your mouth wide open," Hanbei remarked. "What's wrong?"

Hideyoshi just stared agape at Katsu. He was still processing the fact that this girl was the Warlord of Aurora. There was something wrong with that, according to the information he had received from Nagayasu and Koroku…and it took him until now to actually say what it was.

"You're a girl?!" Hideyoshi exclaimed, startling his Chimchar in the process. This resulted in the flaring up of Chimchar's tail flame, which almost burned Hideyoshi, had he not picked up Chimchar and immediately distanced the Pokémon from himself.

Hanbei blinked a few times and smiled. "That's right…we weren't expecting the Warlord of Aurora to be female."

Katsu was rather stunned. "What?"

Kanbei sighed and explained. "Nagayasu and Koroku had told us about the newest Warlord of Aurora…they never said anything about you being female. In short, you were mistaken for a boy."

"It probably had something to do with what you were wearing," Hanbei said as he stretched his arms. "Even now, you're still rather boyish."

Katsu was starting to regret ever wearing that armor and clothing. Now she was never going to hear the end of it from one of her female servants who was especially motherly towards her.

"Ehehe, speaking of Nagayasu and Koroku…where are they?" Oichi asked in an attempt to change the subject. She could tell Katsu was not enjoying this.

Hanbei opened one eye. "Hmm…Lord Hideyoshi banished Nagayasu for his behavior and mistreatment of his Pokémon."

"And Koroku just left," Kanbei added. "I don't know why, though…"

"He was probably disturbed with Nagayasu and needed some time to recuperate with what had happened," Hanbei guessed. "So…you want to challenge Ignis Kingdom to battle?"

Katsu nodded her head. "It's the reason I'm here in the first place."

Hideyoshi, having recovered from his initial shock, stood up and turned to Katsu. "If it's a battle you want, I'm ready!"

"Fine!" Oichi exclaimed as she held her Jigglypuff. "Then a battle it is! But Lady Katsu is going to win!"

Hideyoshi looked at Oichi and laughed. He was amused with her antics and still couldn't help, but find her cute. His earlier thoughts about her had not changed. "I could do with someone like you in my army…"

Oichi puffed up her cheeks, her Jigglypuff doing the same. "My loyalty is pledge to Lady Katsu of Aurora! I would never fight for someone like you, anyway!"

Oichi still remembered how Hideyoshi acted towards her when they first met. She didn't appreciate being called a "cutie". It was a bit demeaning for her when it came from him.

Hideyoshi reacted in a manner that reminded Oichi and Katsu of a monkey…much like his Chimchar, who was mimicking Hideyoshi.

"Heh…Don't be so hasty…" Hideyoshi said, trying his best to act calm. "Once you see me in action, you might change your mind."

Oichi turned away from Hideyoshi. "I doubt it…"

"All right!" Hideyoshi exclaimed. "I think it's time for battle, don't you?"

"I don't."

…

…

Hideyoshi glared at Kanbei. "Kanbei, what is the meaning of this?!"

"I just don't think it's time for a battle," Kanbei replied. "Didn't these girls just finish making their way through the traps to reach this castle?"

"Kanbei has a point…" Hanbei said as he petted Kaminari. "And besides, I'm pretty sure they haven't eaten yet."

At that point, almost as if on cue, Oichi and Katsu's stomachs growled audibly. Katsu felt her face heat up whilst Oichi hid her face behind Jigglypuff. Talk about embarrassing…

"Point made," Hanbei said with a grin. "How about we call this battle off…at least until tomorrow?"

Hideyoshi thought about it for a moment before he decided. "Fine, I see your point. I'll go talk to the cooks…"

…

…

Hanbei looked at Katsu. "Is there any reason why you were mistaken for a boy?" (5)

"I don't want to talk about it…" Katsu had had enough of that for the day…as did Oichi and their Pokémon.

Hanbei just laughed whilst Kanbei sighed.

…

…

…

* * *

A/N End of chapter.

I'm NOT dead! I know it's been a LONG time since I updated, but life caught up with me. Do you have any fucking idea just how difficult it is to be a senior? I got an actual life…and it scares me… I got accepted by the University I applied to, so all I have to worry about are scholarships and trying to pass Calculus. Yup…

By the way, I got Miss Congeniality in the pageant! :D Yay…yeah, enough of that, let's get back onto this story. You guys must be surprised about Hanbei and Kanbei, right? Yeah, I thought that it wasn't fair for them to be in the after game, so I added them in. Also, the summary says reverse-harem and if I got Hanbei and Kanbei's characterization wrong, sorry, but _Conquest_ didn't exactly give me a clear grasp of their characters so I just BS it from what I think they would do based on their pictures and stuff.

Anyways, let's get onto the little notes.

(1) Some Pokémon will be keeping their Japanese onomatopoeia and stuff because I rather like it and I can work with it. I have been keeping up with the Japanese version of Best Wishes, so most of Unova's Pokémon tend to make me think of how they sound in the Japanese version…yeah.

Also, Sandile is Meguroco and Axew is Kibago.

(2) I know Chimchar is a chimpanzee, but I'm calling him a monkey because of Hideyoshi. There is a reason for this and it is because of history. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had been given the nickname Kozaru, meaning "little monkey", from his lord Oda Nobunaga because his facial features and skinny form resembled that of a monkey. So if you look at Chimchar and its evolutions, you can see why I refer to Chimchar as a monkey, otherwise the whole thing about Hideyoshi wouldn't work out.

(3) It has been explained already that it is bad manners to wear a nagajuban in front of others. And I will explain what a nagajuban is. Since silk kimono are delicate and difficult to clean, the nagajuban helps to keep the outer kimono clean by preventing contact with the wearer's skin. You have no idea just how much time I spent researching this little garment…yeah…

(4) While their ages have not been mentioned in game, I am aware that Hanbei is older than Kanbei by a year. I know these two look older, but again, I'm telling you that time **will** pass in this fic. It took me _**four**_ years in game to finish the main story. Just to let you guys now, these two are part of the harem and remember that our main girl is twelve years old…

Oh, and an interesting fact about Japan is that the age of consent is thirteen. Think about it and apply it to every manga or anime you have ever read or watch and it clicks in…well, for the most part. I just recently found this out, so Katsu being twelve was for a different reason and that was for the whole concept about her being a very young Warlord. If Katsu had been older, that comment would have been a bit redundant.

(5) Say hello to this story's running gag that was rather unintentional. Katsu being mistaken for a boy was just to add to the fact that, aside from being young, she is also a girl. Remember what I said about the lack of female Warlords? This is to emphasize that little fact…and the fact that long hair does absolutely _nothing_!

In short, this was chapter four and god damn, this took a while. Wow…four months…welp, at least I'm not dead! :D

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And remember, reviews are love~! BUT NO FLAMES! :C I appreciate constructive criticism in the long run! I like advice as it helps me improve my writing, just don't give me lessons. So review, favorite, subscribe, whatever! I'm just happy to know you've taken the time to read this fic—hell, I'm happy to know you read these A/Ns…

Well, not sure how long it'll take me to get up the next chapter, but until then, KD out! XD


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